Category Archives: Massachusetts

Let me tell you a story about a man named Charlie

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…On that tragic and fateful day.

He put 10 cents in his pocket, kissed his wife and family,

went to ride ont he MTA.

We all know the tale of Charlie and the MTA ..he never returned , no he never returned…

Sadly on our return trip on the MBTA, a “Charlie” went to ride at Wollaston Station. As of this writing no one knows what happened. All that we, the public and other passengers know is that  a young man was hit by a red line train and there was no miracle. The young man did not make it. Was it an accident? Was it suicide? Was he drunk, impaired by some other substance? Was he distracted by his phone, texting? or an i-pod? We may never know. Hopefully the family will learn the details and be able achieve some kind of closure.

My heart goes out to the family and to the engineer and the conductor on that train. It was surely traumatic for them, a life changing event.

But I want to comment on the actions of the rest of the MBTA; how the tragic affair affected the rest of the passengers and there were many as it was rush hour.

So let me start at the top. We left the MFA and decided to walk (I know, I’m a glutton for punishment) because I wanted to get some pictures at the Christian Science Center. It is a beautiful spot and I recommend that anyone visiting Boston take a minute to  stop by.

Using the benches along the sidewalk and taking frequent rest stops, I was finally able to get to the Christian Science Center and get some pictures. Yea!

After another rest stop it was back to the OP Shuffle (No offence but it’s the “old person” shuffle. As a card-carrying member of AARP I can say that. I was bent over and had to shuffle my feet . I couldn’t pick them up) Pretty funny now but it wasn’t at the time.

We stopped at Border’s Cafe for a fruit smoothy and then hooked up with the Green Line. If I had hopes of relief there I was sorely (Pun intended) mistaken. It was standing room only and even though it was 4:30 (rush hour) we had to wait 30 minutes for a train, not the normal 10-15.

Arriving at Park St we changed to the Red Line where conditions were no better. We finally got on a train where we hung from poles and straps and my back screamed in protest. I was counting the stops when 2 stops from where the car was parked we were thrown off the train.  A medical emergency in Wollaston we were told. You’ll have to take a shuttle bus.

We were herded off the train and up to the platform where there was 1 bus. Yup, just one. I took advantage of our misfortune by snagging a seat on a bench but the relief was short-lived. It was quickly apparent that if we wanted to have any chance of getting in a shuttle that we would have to stand on the curb and push into the fray when the buses pulled in.

We got on the 4th or 5 th bus..standing room only..again. As the bus pulled into Wollaston Station we saw the crime scene tape and the ME’s van pulling out. We knew it was something bad then. The few passengers for Wollaston exited and the bus turned around to take the majority of us to Quincy Center where we would get off the bus and back onto the train. Standing room only…again.

One of the other passengers used her cell phone to get the latest news and told us a man had been hit by the train in front of ours. That was all we knew and as I write this it is all I have been able to find out.

We finally made it to Quincy Adams Station where my car was parked. As we exited the garage we did a time check, 7:15! 2 hours an 15 minutes for a ride that shouldn’t have taken more than 1 hour! I dropped Nancy off about 15 minutes later and pulled into my complex at 8pm.

The sad part of all this is that this is not the first accident like this on the “T”. I tried to get the numbers of similar incidents for 2011 but couldn’t find any however I did find plenty of news clips about train hits and close calls going back to 2009. So I can’t help but wonder, what steps have the MBTA taken to prevent these kinds of accidents? And with experience with this type of thing, why aren’t they more prepared to provide for their other passengers? No one wants accidents or injuries but that’s why they are called accidents. Shouldn’t the T have contingency plans in place? Our driver said he didn’t even know what station he was supposed to be driving to! I give the “T” a C- for their response to the emergency.

As for my back, a visit to my doctor secured some muscle relaxants and although not 100%, I am well along on the road to recovery!

Into Boston to the MFA on the MBTA

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It’s a  beautiful Monday in June. The Sun is shining and there’s a nice breeze, a perfect day for a little jaunt into Boston. I had to make a brief stop in Randolph and then I was parking at the Quincy Adams T-station for a ride on the red line.

I was meeting my friend Nancy at the MFA (Museum of Fine Arts) on Huntington Ave, Boston. I wanted to see the Chihuly Exhibit. I became enamoured of his work when I saw a chandelier in a casino at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau the Bahamas. I remember I stopped dead and exclaimed” WOW Look at that!”. Luckily the friends I was with knew the piece was a “Chihuly” . That one introduction made such an impression that 7 years later I recognized the name when I heard about the exhibit.

It’s a temporary collection so I was anxious to get into see it before it moved on.

I hadn’t been to the MFA in years so I checked the web page for  the address  and their directions for coming in on the MBTA. I also went to the MBTA web site and entered my start and end location in their “trip planner”.  Both advised to take the redline to Downtown crossing and change to the orange line. Get off at Copley Place and walk 7 minutes to the MFA.

Flower Vendor in Copley Square

Be warned…they are wrong! A better way is to take the red line to Park St. Station and change to the Green line. One of the green line trolleys stops right in front of the MFA! But I didn’t have that information when I started out so in Copley I asked directions from a doorman who directed me down Huntington..maybe a 10 minutes walk. He must be a runner because even a jogger wouldn’t have got there in 10 minutes.

I walked and walked and periodically asked directions always being told to keep walking. Along the way I took pictures of the sights of Boston. Boston is a great city for strolling and enjoying the sights. It’s full of history and old buildings with wonderful architecture.

 I also saw the green line trolley stops and could have grabbed a trolley at any one of them but the people I asked made it sound like I was almost there each time  I asked.

City Reflections

It was a beautiful day for a walk but I had hurt my back a couple of days before and was not at 100%.

Duck Tours

 Where I started out strong as I continued to walk my lower back began to spasm and pretty soon my thighs were burning, then my knees.

Old Town Trolley! The Best Trolley in Boston

By the time I reached the Christian Science building I was done in. I wasn’t even taking pictures anymore .Just cut me off at the waist and give me a new lower body all I wanted to do was to find the that museum. By the time I spotted the MFA even my ankles and feet hurt. I was hot, thirsty, in pain and cranky and it only made it worse when my friend Nancy pointed out the Green line stop right in front of the building.

Appeal to the Great Spirit at the MFA

 I’m not used to having to cry “uncle” over a simple walk but this one nearly “did me in.”

Appeal to the Great Spirit

At the ticket booth I told them I had a complaint about their website. I told them how following their directions put me in Copley Square and that it was not an easy 7 minute walk like it said on their web page. The girl at the desk wasn’t even surprised. She said it was a glitch and their IT guys were working on it! No ‘I’m sorry ‘ or anything as she swung right back into her speech about upgrading to a membership!

It was now 1 pm so Nancy & I decided to have lunch in the cafeteria and let me cool off. I got my first glimpse of the exhibit on the way to the cafeteria.

Chihuly

 I think it ‘s going to be worth the aggravation.

Inside the MFA

There’s a restaurant and a cafeteria. The restaurant is quite pricey so we went to the cafeteria. That wasn’t too bad. They had the usual cafeteria fare; hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, pizza, chicken fingers, things like that. I settled for a slice of pizza and a large cold bottled water. I added a package of cookies for desert. That totalled out at about $7.00. I would have gotten a discount if I had a membership.

We took our time over lunch so by the time we headed off to the exhibit my frame of mind, if not my body was in a much better place.

Turner Falls, Flowers and Pot holes

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When my friend Nancy , her kids and I went to Magic Wings in Deerfield we came back to RT 2 this way and had seen the falls at Turner Falls. That day they were really flowing. Today I had to make my way over a bridge that was under construction and couldn’t see the falls at all.

When I reached the other side I saw a building marked Great Falls  Discovery Center .

 I found the parking area and headed down in hopes that they could tell me what happened to the falls. On the way I smelled lilacs! At first I didn’t see any lilac bushes so I wondered if it was my imagination. I slowed down as I approached the building and got a whiff again. That’s when I spotted the small white lilac bush. I love lilacs so of course I had to take a picture. I wish I could bottle that fragrance too!

“Time to smell the flowers” over I entered the Great Falls Discovery Center. I was impressed. It was huge and the displays were both educational and entertaining. The Center is run by the National Fish and Wildlife refuge. I was only there  for a few minutes but I wish I would have had more time to explore. The ranger explained that the flow of water over the falls is controlled. If some of the flow is being directed to the hydroelectric plant then the falls themselves will be smaller. When the plant opens the spillway, the flow increases. She told me I could follow the path around the building and across a little bridge  and I would be able to see the falls.

 There is also a canal that runs alongside the river.

 Before I left she also mentioned that they have a fish ladder exhibit that was opening on Sunday. It sounded interesting but since I would be in Arizona I explained that I wouldn’t be able to see it then. I would try to return at a later date.

I followed the path and crossed a foot  bridge over the canal. The path then wound down a little hill. I spotted a tree that a beaver had felled and then I heard the falls.

A young man was standing on  some rocks fishing. He pointed out where the falls were and explained that the water was low right now. He said if we heard a siren we needed to head for high ground in a hurry. The siren means the hydro-electric plant is about to open the spillway.

I watched the falls for a few more minutes and headed back up the path. After all, I still had more stops to make.

Back at the car I realized that the directions to get back to RT 2 that I picked up weren’t correct. I found myself driving around a bit before I got myself back on track. Once back on RT 2 westbound I started looking for the Bridge of Flowers. This was a must see stop for me this trip.

It has been years since I first went to the Bridge of Flowers. I thought it was in North Adams but I was wrong. It’s actually in Shelburn Falls. The Bridge of Flowers is the only one of its kind in the world. Originally built as a trolley bridge around 1908. The bridge crosses the Deerfield River between the towns of Shelburn and Buckland. Around 1928 the trolley was abandoned.

The bridge is a 400 foot, 5 arch concrete span. In 1929 Antoinette & Walter Burnham suggested converting the old trolley bridge into a giant flower bridge. It took about a year before it became a reality. The bridge is planted with over 500 varieties  of flowers, all planted and tended by volunteers. The flowers are chosen to assure that there will be blooms all growing season. The first blooms begin to flower in early spring and last all through late fall.

While I was in Shelburn Falls I figured I might as well take a look at Salmon Falls and the Glacial Pot holes.

 These are natural pot holes that formed over several hundred million years. It was getting late in the afternoon and I sill had the rest of the Mohawk Trail to finish before 6pm arrived so I didn’t have much time to explore. In the “old days” I can remember going right down to the rocks and exploring up close but today I didn’t see any place to safely get down to the pot holes. Still the falls were beautiful and the pot holes clearly visible from a wooden deck.

It was time to move on. The Mohawk Trail winds down as it enters New York and I mean that quite literally. The last bit of the Western section is a series of hairpin  turns and switch back curves.

 The drive is extremely picturesque. From the Elk on the trail 

to The Indian Trading Post

 there was still a lot to do but it was time to wrap up this journey for one day. I made it to my sister’s just in time at 6pm!

Tomorrow is another day and another adventure awaits!

Are we there yet?

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Having passed the “Fruitland” exit I continued along RT 2 heading west. There are a number of bridges along this route and a couple of them are really pretty. The first one I came upon that bears mentioning is the French King  Bridge which crosses the Connecticut River. There is something about the clean lines of this bridge that just really appeals to me. I think I read somewhere that it is a 3 span “cantilever” bridge but I just think it’s nice. Apparently people who know bridges agreed with me because way back in 1932 this bridge was awarded “Most beautiful Steel Bridge” by the American Institute of Steel Construction.

I actually stopped and parked the car so I could walk out on the bridge to see the river passing under it.

Back on the road I pulled into the little town of Gill. As I passed the town line sign I spotted some goats in a pen by the side of the road. There were a lot of picnic tables around so I wondered if this was a makeshift petting zoo or something. I pulled into the first gas station I came to so I could top off the tank and then turn around to backtrack.

The little pen was set up next to the Wagon Wheel restaurant.

There was a nanny goat and 2 kids.

They were the cutest little family. I pulled into the parking lot and grabbed the camera. I dropped to my knees next to the pen trying to get some nice close up shots of the kids. They are such teases. They’d look at me and just as I got the camera focused they’d bounce away. While I was so engrossed a heard a man’s voice right behind me ask me “You want to buy a goat?”

 Turns out the young man was the owner of this little family and the small produce stand that was offering vegetables, flowers, maple syrup and manure ( for fertilizer) for sale.

After getting a good chuckle I asked him seriously why he brought the goats. He said he would sell them but also people stopped to see them and that gave them a chance to see  his farm stand. I guess it works. It got me to stop! 🙂

I began to chat with him and a couple of young ladies that were there as well. It turns out that he runs a farm called Lally Laggy Farm. The actual farm is located in Lydon and is farmed the old-fashioned way, with draft horses. Molly and Maggie are American Creme Draft horses and are very rare. There are fewer than 400 alive today. He is working 186 acres that he leases. He raises some grass-fed beef cattle as well as his goats.  He said the farm has a Facebook page so I have to check it out. From the brief visit we had it sounds like he is really trying to make a go of this farm. He said he has hay and firewood as well as seasonal vegetables and flowers for sale. Before I left him we agreed that I can make arrangements to go out to the farm to really see what he’s doing with it. I can’t wait for that visit!

Since it was about lunch time I figured I’d try out the Wagon Wheel Restaurant since I was parked in their lot. I think their slogan was “roadside food the way it should be” or something like that. I liked the sound of it.

There’s seating inside or at the picnic tables outside. I ordered from the window for outside seating. When my number was called I picked up my sandwich and fries and retired to a picnic table to enjoy my meal.  They have a drive-in menu reminiscent of older days: grilled burgers, hotdogs, salads, fresh fish, homemade soup and homemade ice cream plus soft serve ice cream….yum!

Lunch over I chatted with my new friends of Lally Laggy Farm for a few more minutes and then headed off to my next stop; the little town of Turner Falls.

Johnny Appleseed Country

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As I head west on Rt 2 the first thing I notice are signs for the many apple orchards in the area along with the State Parks. It seems like there a different  state park sign every couple of miles. RT 2 in this area is a divided highway, not the meandering country road I think of when I envision the Mohawk Trail. The speed limit varies between 55  and 65 depending on the stretch of road so pay attention to the signs or you may get snagged for speeding when that was not you intention at all, you just missed the speed change sign!

I made my first stop at the Johnny Appleseed rest area and visitor center, a modern facility right on RT 2 with restrooms, vending machines, pet walk and gift shop. I picked up a few brochures to the area attractions so I can plan a return trip just to explore this area.

Of course there are the apple orchards, Beautiful to look at in spring and supplying us with fresh honey from those busy bees out pollinating the trees so we can have a fall harvest of apples. Many of the orchards off  “Pick Your Own” when the time comes. A great day outing for families and singles alike. Orchards have to maintain all year even though the apples are seasonal so most have bakeries or ice cream, cider for sale  and Market Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Lancaster has a well-known Farmer’s market .

The area is loaded with trails; trails for hiking, trails for mountain biking, even horseback riding. There are scenic areas for wildlife viewing. 3 long distance trails wind through the region. There’s the 95 mile Midstate Trail that runs from Rhode Island to New Hampshire, the Tully Trail, a 22 mile loop that follows the Tully River Valley in Royston, Orange, and Warwick and finally the Metacomet-Monadnock/New England National Scenic Trail that winds through the hills  east of the Connecticut River.

You have wildlife viewing  in the Oxbow National Wildlife refuge and Bolton Flats offers close up views of the Nashua River and it’s flood plain. Clinton is home to  park of the Wachussett Reservoir where trails offer views over the water.

Speaking of Wachusett, Wachusett Mountain in Princeton is not only a winter destination for skiing and snowboarding but crisscrossed with day trails ranging from 1/2 mile to longer loops of a 1/2 day or more. At the summit you are standing at 2,006 ft with views that range from Boston to the Berkshires and the list  goes on.

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Lace up your boots, pick a direction and head off for a day of outdoor adventure just a short drive from Boston!  Do I sound like a travel brochure? Only because there is so much to do here that I never realized existed. I can’t wait to come back to explore some more myself!